I wouldn't call myself a "snacker" but instead a "open the cabinet, take a bite or handful" repeat 2-3x er.(Exhibit A to the right)

This "crouch and crunch" method works fine when I'm home but if I'm out and about, I need a snack that is portable and protein packed to keep me satisfied. Snacking has been shown to keep metabolism revving and energy levels high, which means with a healthy snack in tow, you can take on whatever the day throws your way until you can make it to the dinner table.

I typically eat my meals around the same times every day but the holiday season often throws me off my usual routine, leaving me ravenous at times between means. In order to prevent a case of the hangries,I have my Top 5 On-The-Go Healthy Snacks to keep me fueled and feeling like myself.(for those moments when grilled chicken in your purse just isn't appropriate ;] )

For more portable snacks or recipe ideas that are healthy, check out this list from Nuts.com. Organized by category and type of snack, there's something for everyone! And, remember, healthy fats are a great source of fuel too!

And for those of you who experience a snack attack, especially a sweet tooth one while at home, here are a few more of my favorite healthy and quick snacks that you can whip up before you run out the door or to keep you satiated between meals.

Sometimes, all you really want is a soft and chewy cookie, with bits of chocolate melting in your mouth with each bite. And you want multiple bites, so mini size morsels are simply not going to cut it when trying to calm your cookie craving. That's where the protein comes in. Protein makes everything more satiating, EVEN cookies, or cake or whatever you want to call this gluten free, dairy free, quick and easy crossbreed I've created.

This "cookie" is dense, and a bit on the dry side, so you could tweak the ingredients by adding in greek yogurt, apple sauce, or pumpkin to moisten it up, but served with a glass of milk (lactaid for me!) and enough chocolate chips inside, the cookie to chip ratio combatted any dryness.

1. Add dry ingredients (optional add ins included) to a mug or small bowl2. Add in milk, or other wet ingredients until it becomes a paste - this took me about two splashes worth3. Add in a handful of chips - push them down to evenly spread them out4. Microwave for 20 seconds, the "cake" will RISE, when it is just about to come over the sides of your mug bowl, STOP the microwave, pat the "cake" if it is still liquidy then microwave in 5 second intervals, but BE CAREFUL - YOU CAN OVERCOOK IT, THEN IT WILL BE GROSS :) 5. Plop onto a plate and enjoy!

Tips/Notes- You can use WHATEVER Protein Flavor you want as your cookie base to switch up the flavors- This can be made with any milk alternative that suits your dietary needs- As stated above, this is on the DRY side, it is NOT a moist cookie nor am I going to lie to you and tell you it tastes just like a soft and chewy chips ahoy, but it takes less than five minutes and five ingredients to make, satisfies a craving AND fills you up, double win in my book! To make it more moist, play with the ingredient ratios and try adding: applesauce, greek yogurt, or pumpkin puree- Top with Wink or Ice Cream of your Choice- Drizzle with any of my healthy and easy topping ideas: - Chocolate Mousse - Peanut Butter Protein Sauce - Chocolate Pudding/Freezer Fudge (Dairy Free!) - Vanilla Cinnamon Almond Butter

I am a lazy girl when it comes to satisfying my sweet tooth. So lazy that sometimesI pour Nesquick Chocolate Syrup in my mouth, straight from the bottle, with the fridge door still open...ANDI am NOT a baker. Even the idea of a minute mug cake seems like too much effort to me due to the number of ingredients and measuring they often require. Ain't nobody got time for that, well according to Instagram and the internet plenty of people do BUT not me. I want minimal effort with maximum deliciousness. SO what started out as a "hold me over before dinner time" protein packed snack to quell my craving for chocolate (which seems to be non stop) ended up into THIS. These three ingredients mixed together created a batter like consistency, BUT unlike most batter recipes THIS recipe is IBS approved since it doesn't use beans or bananas.

Adjust the recipe amounts to your tastebud preferences and how much you want to eat*6 Tablespoons Egg Whites = 10 Grams of Protein*

3 Ingredient Healthy "Brownie" Batter

6-9 Tbsp. Egg Whites - carton kind

1 LARGE spoonful of Cocoa Powder

Sweetener of Choice* to taste

In a microwave safe bowl, add egg whites

Microwave for 30-45 seconds (you want it to be only a little bit cooked with some egg whites still in a liquid state)

Add LARGE spoonful of cocoa powder, mix with a FORK to fluff up the egg whites and distribute the cocoa powder through out the egg white solid/liquid mixture

Cook an additional 30 seconds or until all liquid is cooked through

Fluff egg whites with a fork while adding sweetener of choice (I used a half packet of stevia)

ENJOY WARM OOEY GOOEY BROWNIE GOODNESS Tips/Notes- Liquid Egg Whites from a carton are recommended since they are pasteurized and can be eaten undercooked

SWEETENER OPTIONS: Stevia, Honey, Coconut Sugar. I have not tried it with regular sugar, it MAY be too grainy for the batter

BROWNIE BATTER ADD IN IDEAS:Once the "batter" has been made, why not try adding one of the following:- Peanut Butter/PB2 - Chocolate Chips/Cacoa Nibs

What's your "guilty snacking pleasure"? Do you take Nesquick to the face like me?

Lately, I have been craving cheese. ALL THE TIME. It seems to be that as soon as lunch or dinner time rolls around, my taste buds are just crying out for some cheesy, creamy, goodness. This is a BIT problematic, seeing as I can't eat cheese. Apparently my taste buds and intestines seem to be on two different pages...and I can't find my Go Veggie Shreds at ANY of my local grocery stores, so what's a girl to do? GET CREATIVE! And make her own "cheese" dip/spread.

With my dad's go to motto in mind, "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome" I got to thinking in the kitchen and came up with this:

NOW- If I lost you at Nutritional Yeast, basically it's a yellow "cheese-like" powder or flake that is chock full of Vitamin B12 that is very popular in the Vegan community. I'm not Vegan, but I do LOVE using it as a cheese replacement/substitute! Susan at The Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, goes quite heavy into detail in her post about it here if you want to learn more before buying it!

1. Open small greek yogurt container OR serve yourself desired amount of plain greek yogurt2. Add Nutritional Yeast (as much or as little as you want, I do NOT measure, I use A LOT, probably 2 Tbsp. worth, at least!)3. STIR until yogurt and yeast become one thicker consistency!4. Enjoy as a veggie dip, spread on your sandwich, or eat it straight up with a spoon!

Tips/Notes- If you cannot eat greek yogurt, try this with a dairy free/lactose free yogurt! It may not become as thick, but it will still get the cheesy flavor!- Make a big batch and save it in an airtight container to enjoy cheesy goodness through out the week!

AND I'm trying out something new with the blog, for more interaction with all of YOU my fabulous readers who I love, a question section at the bottom, feel free to reply or share other thoughts!

The problem with a later in life Celiac Diagnosis is, you know what certain foods are supposed to taste like. Their textures are imprinted on your taste buds, so recreating a favorite dish or dessert can sometimes be quite difficult. Especially if you are trying to please non gluten free palates!

My first gluten free Thanksgiving, I attempted to make a gluten free and dairy free pie, which resulted in a crustless concoction lacking the right consistency.

This year, I stepped up my game, and got on my Gluten Free Dairy Free Betty Crocker grind. My patience in the kitchen paid off when I took the first bite of this heavenly pie, which was spot on for taste, texture and consistency! I know I'm a little late for Thanksgiving BUT with Christmas right around the corner, this recipe is just in time!

BEHOLD, A GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, PUMPKIN PIE THAT IS ON POINT! (and has crust!) This recipe is a two part process, first making and baking the crust, then the filling!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit2. Place your graham crackers/cookies into a large freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin, or if you're daring enough, your palm. Be careful you don't make a hole in the bag, it will make a mess and waste your crumbs!3. Melt the butter, and add all ingredients together in a bowl4. Stir until well combined5. Press the crust mixture into a 9 inch pie pan (I actually used an 8 inch pan, it's all I had)6. Bake crust until slightly darkened, this will vary depending on the type of cookie you used! I baked mine for five, checked it, baked for another five, gave it a check, then baked for a final five7. Take out of the oven, let cool, add pie filling and bake accordingly

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES1. Combine milk, pumpkin, and eggs in large bowl 2. Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, and spices in small bowl3. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, stir until well combined4. Bake 50-55 minutes until a toothpick/fork/knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Depending on your oven, baking times will vary, I actually baked mine for 55 minutes, then for an extra five minutes, checking it at two minute intervals with a knife5. Let cool completely, refrigerate until serving!

Tips/Notes- As a butter substitute, you can use coconut oil, I actually used 2 Tablespoons butter and 3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil melted, because I ran out of butter. Broke the cardinal baking rule and didn't check all my ingredients before beginning, whoops!- Crust Base Suggestions: - Josef's Vanilla Gluten Free Square Cookies - Annie's Gluten Free Bunny Grahams - Snickerdoodle, Gingersnap, Vanilla - Enjoy Life Gluten Free Crunchy Cookies - Sugar Crisp, Vanilla Honey Graham - Enjoy Life Gluten Free Soft Baked Cookies - Gingersnap, Snickerdoodle - Get Creative, use whatever type of cookie/flavor is YOUR favorite!- Pie Filling Milk Substitutes: - Lactaid (this is what I use instead of milk) - Almond Milk (may give it a different flavor, try using Vanilla instead?) - Soy Milk (may give it a different flavor, better to use Vanilla I feel) - Coconut Milk (may give a different flavor)- I let mine cool, kept in the fridge and it stayed fresh for a week!- This pie was point on, it had the PERFECT texture and consistency and fooled my boyfriend's family, the thought it was a "normal" pie!